The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine, in particular in a motor vehicle, having a fuel filter system according to the preamble of Patent claim 1.
DE 103 29 199 A1 and DE 103 41 054 A1 disclose internal combustion engines having oil lubricant filters which are provided with two replaceable filter elements, namely a mainstream filter and a side-stream filter in a divisible filter housing. In these filters, means are provided through which this oil lubricant filter can still ensure a reliably functioning engine operation even in the event of an inadvertent omission of the side-stream filter, and this is done by interrupting the side-stream pathway. With these known filter systems, engine operation is not necessarily prevented when the side-stream filter is not present, but instead engine operation is intentionally maintained. An internal combustion engine having such an oil lubricant system can be started without hindrance in particular and then operated further.